The Relationship Between Teacher and Student: A
Symbol of Love and Understanding

By:
Munir Moosa Sewani

Munir
Moosa Sewani is one of the most famous, prominent and
creative names in the field of Education for the past 10 years. He
is a Master Trainer In Special Education, Post Graduate, Teacher
Educator and a Teacher. He is a Freelance Writer and Photographer,
in addition to his role as a featured writer for StarTeaching's
newsletter for four and a half years now. He is an author of the
famous self-published storybook for children titled "The
MORAL STORIES FOR CHILDREN" and has also written a Biology
book for Secondary Classes. He has written more than 100 articles
dealing with social, health, educational and cultural issues,
which are internationally recognized and published in famous world
wide websites, newsletters, magazines and newspapers.

He
is also a Social worker, private tutor, career counselor,
musician, lyrics writer and have multi- dimensional talents. His
future plan is to write dozens of informative articles and to work
for education and media, in order to explore hidden creativity.

You can contact Munir Moosa Sewani at: munirmoosa@yahoo.com

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher
demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." (William Ward)

For an ordinary person, a teacher is a person who teaches students, but for students, the
role of a teacher is far beyond our expectations. A teacher is a role model for many
children. They imitate their teachers and many a times share all those
things which they can’t even express in front of their parents.

When I joined the profession of teaching a decade ago, I had no idea about this field; but
as time passed, I realized that this field has given more than what I had expected. But this
field demands love, care, sympathy, understanding, and above all, a good relationship
with students.

It's truly said
“Children are like a pot of flowers. If you’ll give them proper attention, they’ll grow
up properly; but if you’ll give them lack of attention or extreme care, they’ll be
destroyed.” (Munir Moosa Sewani, 2006).

A teacher is a very important person in every student’s life. Understanding the needs of
students is a challenging task for teachers. That trust can only be
built if there is a good relationship between a teacher and a student.
Research was conducted and 50 students were asked the question: what is the one line, which comes to your mind for your teachers? (Research
conducted by Munir Moosa in March, 2007) Few of the responses are given below:
I am fed up of my teachers because of their stupid threats! My teachers always support us and they always think good for us. They are really
concerned about our future.

I am sure that sir (name undisclosed) was given severe punishments during his
childhood. Now he has become mental and throwing tantrums on us. My teacher always insults me in front of all the students.
I want to kill my teacher one. I love my teachers because I truly feel comfortable in taking their views in solving my
personal problems.

These are some of the
statements commented by students. What makes them say all that is something, which is to be assessed by us. Despite
reading so many articles, news headlines, laws, etc., some teachers love to be staunch all the time. But a
challenging teacher begins his/her teaching career by building understanding with their
students.

During my 4th year of teaching, one of my students of class 3 said the following words
to me “Sir, mayray daddy smoke kartay hai- mujhay bohat ganda lagta hai lekin woh
kisi ki nahi suntay aur mummy ko be maartay hai isi liye may bohat darr jata hu. Aap
please daddy ko bolo woh aap ki baat maan lay gay.” (Sir, my dad is a smoker and I
dislike his habit of smoking, but he never listens to any one and always hit my mom,
that’s why, I often feel insecure. Please talk to my dad; he will surely listen to you). I was
deeply touched when the first time student started trusting me. That trust was based on
student-teacher relationship. Students start trusting you if you are sincere to them. Days
are gone when a staunch teacher was considered as the best one. Today, students need a
good teacher not a villain; they need to learn rather than listening to dictating lectures; they need a
friendly teacher rather than a strict one.

The relationship of a teacher and student is very sensitive. Once it is built with a positive
gesture, a teacher can expect good outcomes of teaching.

According to a research review co-authored by Christi Bergin and David
Bergin at the University of Missouri, students with positive attachments to their professors
and institutions display higher grades and higher standardized test scores. Moreover,
research was conducted in which the results concluded that children are more
comfortable with their teachers than their friends, only if teachers are sincere to them.
We all are teachers in some way or the other, but how many of us have achieved the level
of satisfaction, is the question we need to ask ourselves. I would appreciate the readers to
read the story provided below:

Once, a new child got an admission in my class. He just shifted to Pakistan from
Afghanistan. When all the students saw him, they started hitting him, and made faces as
if they did not like him. Few of the students even complained to me about his dirty clothes,
while the others made lame excuses because they did not want to sit with him. One of
the brilliant students of my class complained, "Munir Sir, this boy smells horrible. He
is so shabby! I don't want to sit with him at any cost." At that time, an idea clicked to
my mind to solve this dispute. The very next day, when I entered the class, that innocent
Afghan student was sitting at the back, while other students were making fun of him.

One of the students, who were just sitting
beside me, informed me that my socks were torn. Another student looked at my shirt and informed me that my shirt sleeves were torn.
(Actually, I was already aware of that, but pretended as if, I had no idea). I replied, "Oh!
I didn't know that; what should I do now? I think it's better for me to leave the class
because I have worn tattered shirt and socks, and it's my presumption that you all would
not allow me to be in your class in such a scruffy way."

One of the students exclaimed, "So what if your shirt sleeves and socks are torn. You
must not leave the class at any cost. We don't want any other teacher to teach us."
Another student exclaimed, "Hey! I have an idea. Let me ask the section head if she can
arrange a safety pin for you?" At that time, I sparkled and replied, "My dear students, you
all know that I have worn torn clothes, then why have you all requested me to be in your
class?” One student responded, "You are our beloved teacher, and we don't want you to
leave the class because you are the best teacher and we have no problem with your torn
attire."

I replied, "You all love me and accepted me in any case. In the same manner, this new
student has worn torn clothes and odor comes from his cloth. But is it wise enough
to throw him out of the class or tell him not to come to school from the next day, just
because of wearing untidy clothes?" I further added, "He is also human, and God always
tell us to help every one. He is like your brother. If any of your brothers is in need, it's
your duty to help." All the students realized and felt sorry for their harsh behavior. They
all shook hands and welcomed that Afghani child. The very next day, I was surprised to
see that boy's glinting face. It was like a miracle for me to see him mingling with other
students. Spare clothes, books, stationary, etc, which were brought by the students for
him. I still remember one of the students even brought soap and taught him how to clean
his face and hands properly. My students are my strength and their motivation to help others
makes me feel proud.

The above story clearly reflects student-teacher relationship. If your students trust you,
then the teaching can be performed successfully.

Here
are some tips for teachers to have better relationships with their students.
Few of the advices, I would like to give to the teachers are:

*
Always love your students and care them like your own children.

*
Respect your students and never hurt them in front of other students.

*
Avoid corporal punishment; that will only left scars in their minds.

*
Take your students for outing with the permission of your school so that students
can feel cozy with you.

*
Become a good counselor and provide them your valuable suggestions, whenever
necessary.

*
Mother Theresa beautifully quoted “Kind words can be short and easy to speak,
but their echoes are endless. So be kind to your students.

*
If the student fails to learn, the teacher fails to teach." –Therefore, we must look
into our pockets rather blaming children for any failure.

*
A sincere teacher does not look for one who performs the appearance of work. It
means that appreciates student’s efforts and never let them down. If they do not
perform well, help them to learn it and try to find the reasons behind it.

*
Student-teacher relationship must be healthy, based on cooperation, mutual
understanding with little bits of strictness.

*
Never discourage students in sharing their ideas. Let them speak and give their
views without any discrimination.

*
Always be natural and express yourself without any hesitant.

*
Give them chance to write on their own. Don’t ever try to showcase your skills.
A sign of a good teacher is appreciating children efforts rather making them
promoting rote learning.

*
Know each an individual child’s capabilities and abilities and explore their
creativity.

*
Give them time to relax in class.

*
If they regularly feel bored when you teach, try to arrange educational activity for
them as an alternative resource to complete your curriculum.

*
Give them incentives or reward when they perform good work. The reward could
be a gift, star, stamp or just a good verbal slogan like Bravo! Keep it up! This
positive gesture is required especially in primary classes.

*
Try to teach according to the psychology of the students.

*
Always remember that children are very sensitive, so treat them with gentle love.

*
They notice each and every thing- from our dress to our gestures, so always be
prepared for every thing.

Children usually ask us many questions and sometimes we don't know the answer
to some questions. At that moment, just try to be loyal and tell your students that
you'll search it and will tell them tomorrow or day after. In this way you'll not
only gain trust and confidence, there will also be a strong bond of relationship on both
sides.

Be a role model for your students not
only by wearing extremely nice apparel, but also through your positive attitude and knowledge.

If any student makes any mistake in their copy, don’t punish them to re-write.
That is the worst solution for a teacher. Look at your mistake because it is the
teacher’s fault if a child does any mistake.

The tips will surely help all the teachers to build a stronger relationship with their students.

Best of Luck!

A Great Offer
to Our StarTeaching Readers
From Kim's Signing Solutions!

Star
Teaching Readers Get a Special Discount on a set ofMy
1st 50 Sight Words in SignRegularly
12.95, You Pay ONLY 9.95.
Click below to get your set of cards at this great discount,
ONLY FOR STAR TEACHING READERS.

Hank
Kellner is a retired teacher of English who
has served as a department chair at the high school level and an
adjunct associate professor of English at the community college
level.

He is the former publisher of Moneygram,
a marketing newsletter for photographer. He is also the
creator of many photographs and articles that have appeared in
publications nationwide, the author of extensive reading
comprehension materials for a publisher of educational
materials, and a former contributor to Darkroom Photography
magazine. His self-syndicated series, Twelve Unknown
Heroes of the American Revolution appeared in more than
fifty newspapers and magazines nationwide.

Kellner's most recent publication, Write What
You See: 99 Photos To Inspire Writing, is marked by Prufrock
Press. His blog appears regularly at hank-englisheducation.blogspot.com.

The purpose of Hank's most
recent work, Reflections, is to inspire student
writing through the use of poetry and photography.

Most of the poems and photos have been submitted by students,
teachers, and others nationwide, though some are directly from
Hank. Although Reflections has not yet been
published, all of its contents are copyrighted. Teachers
are free, however, to download selected contents for use in
their classrooms.

Each selection will include a poem, a photograph, a direct
quotation, and four trigger words.

We at StarTeaching kindly thank Hank for his permission to
use the materials.

I
Love a ParadeBy
Elizabeth Guy

Listen!

Can you hear it?

Can you see them come?

The tweedle-de-tweet of the piccolo.
The pounding of the drum.
The brilliant blare of the sounding brass.
The sudden shock of the cymbal clash.

The cadence of those marching feet.Marching, marching.
Down the street.

Look!
There they are!

Here they come!

Photo 14 and 14a By Hank Kellner

"The one thing I want to see
again is a military parade."

- Ulysses S. Grant

DRUMS
SPECTATORSUNIFORMS
MUSIC

The
Absence of Color

By Cynthia Staples

Does sadness have a color?
Muted blue perhaps tinged with gray.
White with ash layered throughout like Morbier cheese?
Not black.Black
is beautiful
As are gold, brown, and green.
They indicate life.
Sadness equals absence
Of light and color and warmth.
Arctic white then, yes,
That’s the color of sadness.

Hank
Kellner is the author of
Write What You See: 99 Photos To Inspire Writing. Published by Cottonwood Press ( I-800-864-4297)
and distributed by IndependentPublishers Group, Write What You See includes a supplementary CD with photos. 8 ½ x11,
120 pages, perfect binding, ISBN 978-1-877-673-83-2, LCCN
2008938630. $24.95. Available at bookstores, from the publisher,and on the Internet at www.amazon.comand
other websites.
Ask
your school or local librarian to order it.Visit the author’s
blog at http://hank-englisheducation.com.
The author will contribute a portion of the royalties earned
from the sale of this book to The Wounded Warriors Project.

There
are six modules designed to test the basic ability of an
individual in terms of Memory & Concentration. Needless to
say this is the most important basic skill for not just to
survive but also to thrive in this competitive environment.
Each of the six modules tests the six variants of Memory &
Concentration in an individual, namely:

1.

Picture
recognition

2.

Paired Associate
Learning

3.

Immediate Recall

4.

Serial processing

5.

Parallel
processing

6.

Recognition and
Recall

Each
of these modules runs at three different levels, from easy to
difficult.

At each level, the individual's performance is depicted as
Scores Obtained.

A feedback has been built into the software for all these 18
levels depending on the marks one scores during the
test.

Each individual can assess his/her performance any time by
clicking on "history", which gives complete details
of date and time of taking the tests, marks scored each time
and even time taken to do the test. This builds the confidence
level and encourages more participation to eventually
culminate in improvement and enhancement of memory and
concentration.

Essentially, this software is a SELF AWARENESS tool that
surely motivates the individual to realize one's capability
and seek or be receptive for improvement. Also, if repeatedly
done over a period of time works as Training tool to enhance
their capability.

This
software package is specifically designed to help young
children to learn basic skills that will help them in
school. Continued follow-up will give these young
learners success as they mature.

Three versions of the software exist:
Individual Software on either CD or Online, Family
Version Software, and an Institutional Software package.

StarTeaching wholeheartedly supports
and endorses this software. It will make a difference
with your child or student.

Rozina
Jumaniis
a Development consultant associated with a number of Non
governmental Organizations (NGO). Prior to this, she was
with Aga Khan Education Services Pakistan for 10 years
as a Professional Development Teacher and Counselor. She
has done her Masters in Islamic Studies and English from
University of Karachi. She is a commonwealth scholar and
completed her Masters in Education Planning, Economic
and International Development from the institute of
Education (IOE), University of London.

Have we
ever
thought about the question, ‘What is the purpose of the classroom
observation?" If it is an informal visit to a classroom, or
if we are guests and want to see the classes, or we are donors and want
to investigate the infrastructure, etc., then certainly we would get in
and out very quickly. But if we are teachers and are engaged in a
process of learning, then our response would be entirely different.

If
it is first agreed between observer and the observee then there are also
other points to be determined. For instance, whether the teacher
initiated the process of observation by suggesting his/her name
voluntarily, or it is enforced on him/her? Does s/he willingly
accept the visitor in the classroom? Then s/he must have thought about
both positive and negative (improvement) areas to be highlighted by the
visitor or observer. Thus all would be based upon the mature relations
with each other, the purpose of the observation, and it would enable us
to determine the outcome of the observation.

In
my professional career as teacher and then teacher educator, I have had
many opportunities to be observed and then observe others. Many times it
was institutional policy, control and enforcement

,
but there were quite a few times when new teachers invited me to become
their critical partners. Furthermore it was to suggest to them how
to be more effective in various aspects such as handling of content
knowledge, pedagogical skills, time and resource management, classroom
management, etc.

Furthermore,
there are many other informal ways to provide feedback to teachers for
instance:

·Sharing
opinions in an informal ways projecting oneself at his/her place using
structure like, “

If
I was at your place, I would have…..’.

·Invite
him/her for observation of m

y
own or another teacher’s class and discuss wanted and unwanted
behavior and its impact on students learning

·

Audio
or video recording of the taught lesson could be analyzed either
individually

(there s/he get more time to reflect) or together

·Engage
him/her in an open discussion on taught plan and its execution plan

,
etc.

·Modeling
and/or peer coaching could be another way to invite comments

Taking
down observation notes is a skill that matures with time in the life of
a teacher or teacher educator. In my career I have seen myself growing
in that skill; initially I used to take down what is good or bad in

the lesson, then gradually I noted down how the objective/s of the
lesson are achieved. In the later years as teacher educator, I started
observing a lesson with two major themes focusing on ‘What was the
teaching saying?’ and ‘What were students saying?" Then I fine
tuned my own observation by linking teachers’ instructions,
explanation, and discussion points with students’ learning and
outcome. I used to highlight my analysis (positive and areas to be
improved) about each lesson.

Classroom
observation and feedback process becomes demoralizing when the element
of force direct

s
the process, when the mutual coordination and trust building seems
impossible due to misunderstanding. This culture creates a bossy
attitude among the observers which cause humiliation and lack of trust,
and eventually fosters hatred, jealousy, and unwillingness to work. To
avoid such a condition where colleagues would play ruler and subordinate
role, it is necessary to understand and practice a diversity of
perspectives; to respect other ideas and avoid unnecessary impositions
on a fresh teacher; rather it is suggested to inspire them by modeling
one’s role appropriately when unconsciously s/he learns and adapt
where necessary.

Teaching
leads to inspiring other young people

and
adults. It is a voluntary process and no one can dumb his/her
ideas on others’ heads; thus it is suggested to keep this (classroom
observationand giving
feedback) process lively when both the partners show willingness to
share and create new knowledge.

Further
it is suggested to c

reate
a friendly bond between observer and observee by co-planning and peer
coaching. As one cannot be perfect in knowledge, it is therefore
important to remind all those who are TEACHER EDUCATORS to become
nurturing and not be perfectionists; And above all, avoid creating
model of imposition and enforcement.

Grand Valley offers a Masters in Educational Leadership in Boyne City and Cadillac. If you would like to find out more about our program feel free to contact me
at: jjudge2935@charter.net
or call me at 231-258-2935.

Many of the topics we will present will be for teachers seeking and administration position and for recently appointed administration. I will also receive comments from those who have just completed their first year as administrators. Since the program in Northern began eleven years ago we have placed over 60 GVSU graduates in administration positions.

Student
Teachers' Lounge:
For The Things They Don't Teach You In College

The
Many Benefits of Sustained Silent Reading

The
benefits of classroom reading are many. Children (especially
young children) have a natural love of reading. However, we at
the middle school often see students who either struggle with
texts or are turned off to reading. A great way of regenerating
that interest is through sustained silent reading in your
classroom.

This topic has been hotly debated recently in the International
Reading Association newsletter. I'm not trying to enter this debate.
This article will simply describe what we in our school have observed
and detail what we've done in our classes that has worked for our
students.

First off, let your students choose what they read, whether it is a
book, magazine, or whatever. It makes a huge difference in peaking their
interest. Teachers already give (and require) plenty of specific
readings through activities, literature, and in textbooks.
Students need the opportunity to read about what interests them, and
this can occur when you allow them to choose what they want to read.
By all means, continue with your regular activities, but find a way to
give your students time (in class is best) to read on their own.

It is very important for you as the teacher to model reading to your
students. Read the entire time your students are reading too. Don't let
this time be wasted on grading papers, checking email, or doing any
other administrivia. If you want your students to take the time
seriously, show them you are taking the time yourself and are enjoying
the activity. Regardless of what the kids may say to you, they will
imitate your behaviors in your class. You have this great opportunity to
be a positive role model!

Just as in practicing writing and their skills through the week, you as
the teacher need to schedule in time for sustained silent reading.
When I'm covering a piece of literature, for example, my class may read
in a variety of ways. We may read aloud, I may read to the class, or we
may play 'popcorn' around the room as students choose others. You
probably have other out-loud reading activities you use too. These are
great, and I always recommend them. But you should always give students
time to read silently too. It doesn't have to be a lot, but I do
recommend at least ten minutes, though not more than twenty. Think in
terms of attention spans: plenty of time to become engaged in the text,
read for a bit, and yet stay focused. Obviously some students could lose
themselves in a book for hours on end, but not all kids have such a long
attention span. Start with ten minutes and work upward, adding a few
minutes each time.

In addition to literature we all cover in class, I also set up a regular
library time so students can select their own books. We'll stay in the
library for, again, about twenty minutes. I give students between ten
and fifteen minutes to look over the shelves and 'try on' a book. Its
like trying on clothing. This trial version is very important so
students can start deciding if this is the book for them. If it
doesn't hook them in the first ten minutes, I suggest they try again.
I'll try to make suggestions based on what I think the students'
interests are. Sometimes we talk about what they like, what their
interests are. Students are not required to check out a book, but they
must 'try out' at least one book at each visit.

We designate each Friday after our vocabulary quiz for sustained silent
reading. Students may read their library book, another book of their
choice, or even a magazine from the rack in my room (I typically collect
old magazines from everywhere and keep them in a large rack in class).
Old magazines include the old stand bys - Reader's Digest, National
Geographic, and Sports Illustrated. But I also gather Teen magazines,
food and cooking, gardening, hunting and fishing, and video game
magazines, among others. This way there are a large variety of topics
for students to choose from.

The bookshelves in my room also have old reference materials and some
outdated textbooks I've scrounged from other teachers. Some of your
students will enjoy looking through drafting texts, recipe books, or
science books, and you'd be surprised at the number of kids who love
maps in social studies, history, or geography text books.

I've noticed a difference, especially in the attitudes of my students
toward reading. Students given choices through the year were more
engaged in the assigned readings through the year. Often, students
(especially struggling students or low readers) have told me they enjoy
reading, or they've found a topic or author they want to read more
about, or the readings I did assign were some of the only ones they
actually read (that year or in several years). Comments like that last
one are bittersweet, because though I'm glad the student has regained
the interest in reading, I'm sorry it took so long and the student was
turned off in the first place. Sustained silent reading and allowing
students to choose their own texts can be very powerful and beneficial
to your students. You can be the teacher who makes a difference to your
students.

Mark
Benn earned his B.S. from Western
Michigan University and his Elementary Certification from
Northern Michigan University. He is a 21 year teaching
veteran of 5th and 6th grade students at Inland Lakes Middle
School in Indian River, MI. He finished his Masters of
Integration of Technology from Walden University.

Prior to teaching, Mark spent 11 years as
Department Manager for Sears, Roebuck and Co. dealing with
emerging technologies. He has been married to his wife
Bonnietta for 32 years with one daughter and two sons. In
the summers, Mark works for Mackinac State Historic Parks in the
as a historical interpreter.

This is part one of a
three part look at what teaching is all about.

Everyday, as teachers, we work hard to have students learn material and
acquire skills they will need in the future. Along the way, we attempt
to see if they understand the material by asking questions of individual
students, or giving them a quiz. This is called formative assessment.
From this type of assessment we make decisions how to proceed with the
material. In the end we may give a final test to measure their final
understanding of the material. This final form of measurement is called
summative assessment.

What is this formative and summative assessment about, you may ask?
Giving final tests have been around forever (summative assessment).
Asking questions of the students isn’t new either (formative
assessment). But what have you done with the answers the students gave?
Did they help in guiding where you were going with the material? Did it
help you assess the success of your teaching strategies? Let’s look a
little deeper at this.

What is your motivation in teaching the curriculum, or skills, that you,
as a teacher, are expected to present within your subject matter or
grade level? Is your motivation to get through the material and
hopefully the students will get it, or is it to teach for mastery? If
I’m feeling overwhelmed by the amount of material I have to teach in a
year, I’m going to teach in a way that gets me through the material.
Is this what we are called to do? Do you know, at any point in time,
where each individual student is in their comprehension of the subject
matter or skills? What is
your motivation for giving worksheets or answering questions on paper?
Is it to just get a grade or practice the skill? Or should there be
more? I know these are
heavy questions, but we, as professionals, should be asking them each
time we teach. Today’s 21st century teacher is being called
upon to raise the bar, but do we know how?

If you notice, I haven’t mentioned No Child Left Behind, until now. As
frustrated as we get with the way this concept is being carried out, the
idea isn’t bad. How many students have been dropped through the cracks
over the years because of how we approached teaching? How many times
have we been frustrated because students act like they have never seen
the material, even though we know the previous teacher had taught it? It
is time we start looking at out teaching strategies and ask ourselves if
this is working. We need to be willing to talk with other teachers about
what we are doing in the classroom and sharing among ourselves what has
worked and what hasn’t. From this dialogue we can make adjustments to
our strategies so that all students can be successful in some way.

Now, I know I haven’t addressed formative and summative assessment. I
haven’t dealt with the many questions I brought up and the motivation
behind our teaching. This first part was to get you thinking. In the
next part I will address these questions. So think about it.

Mark Benn earned his B.S. from Western
Michigan University and his Elementary Certification from
Northern Michigan University. He is a 21 year teaching
veteran of 5th and 6th grade students at Inland Lakes Middle
School in Indian River, MI. He is currently working on
Masters of Integration of Technology from Walden University.

Prior to teaching, Mark spent 11 years as Department Manager for
Sears, Roebuck and Co. dealing with emerging technologies.
He has been married to his wife Bonnietta for 32 years with one
daughter and two sons. In the summers, Mark works for
Mackinac State Historic Parks in the as a historical
interpreter.

Economics in the Middle School seems such a
difficult subject to me. It’s part of our content standards
and tested on the high stakes proficiency test in the 8th grade
so it truly must be presented to students. Yet, it’s not well
covered in our typical M.S. history text or for that matter, in
my own college curriculum. I find myself searching constantly
for ways and means to present Economics to my 8th graders.

Concrete
examples and hands-on activities must be part of the economics
curriculum. Vocabulary also must be learned in terms of a middle school
students’ world. And, give our young consumers credit. They know quite
a lot about money, choices and the way a free market system works. They
just don’t know they know it because of the vocabulary! That’s our
job as educators to take what they recognize, help them translate it
into accepted econ vocab and principles, and apply it to economics to
situations they observe or experience in society. Now that TRULY sounds
like a daunting task!!

I choose to
start with vocabulary. My students like to hear “things” to do as we
started with a workbook. As we read through our economics workbook, all
the italicized (economic) words went on the word bank list, with
definitions, of course.

The word bank
eventually evolved into flashcards. Now it’s an activity kids really
like. We stay each other, review or quiz each other, all the while
sorting flashcards from the “don’t know” to the “know that”
piles. Flash card review is an activity before a test, when they finish
something and are waiting for everyone else to get done, or as a fun
game to end the class period. Using the vocab word in their own sentence
checks for understanding. Can they use their sentence, deleting the econ
vocab word, and have their partner figure out the word? Can they give an
example for each word? Practice as a single proprietor, in a
partnership, or in a (class-size) corporation.

Using the vocabulary of economics in as important. When a student comes
to class and needs a pencil, stop class for a couple of minutes and do a
needs (demand) supply demonstration. Throw in a little advertising (my
pencil writes the BEST answers), stir up some some competition (who else
has a pencil to lend), set up a price (2 shoe deposit) and watch for
supply and demand. Kids love it; it makes what they’re learning real.
They recognize a surplus brings price down; a shortage could drive
prices up, and supply or demand everywhere.

Advertising is another great vocab word to demonstrate. Choose a
product, and have partners do an ad. How will they convince customers
their vision is best? Point out responsibility of the consumers from
fraudulent advertising or unsafe products. How was the ad firm a
consumer itself as well as a producer of a service? What is the
difference between goods and services? Can advertising be proprietor,
partner, or corporation?

Proprietors, or better yet, partnerships could randomly select a
flashcard and develop their own demonstration of its meaning. What a
great opening set for today’s lesson if a couple of students shared
the vocab definition by acting it out. Try partners determining profit,
or a corporation giving dividends to first preferred stockholders, then
general stockholders. Demonstrate limited vs. unlimited liability. Let
everyone have an opportunity to act out vocab words.

What a difference it makes when your students focus on the concepts and
not puzzle over your words when you explain Economics. Start with vocab
and help students make it their own!

Single-sex education is the practice of conducting education where
male and female students attend separate classes or in separate
buildings or schools. The practice was predominant before the
mid-twentieth century, particularly in secondary education and higher
education. Single-sex education is often advocated on the basis of
tradition, as well as religious or cultural values. It is practiced in
many parts of the world. A number of studies starting in the 1990s are
showing statistical data that children from single-sex schools are
outperforming students from coeducational schools, although some studies
also say that these are non-conclusive. In 2002, because of these
studies and bipartisan support, the US law of 1972 was revoked and
funding was given in support of the single-sex option. There are now
associations of parents who are advocating for single-sex education.

SEX DIFFERENCES

The practitioners of single sex school state that boys and girls
learn differently. The brain is a sexed organ. There are significant
differences between male and female brains.

On the other hand, intersexuals and trans gendered individuals would
defeat the purpose of single-sex education, as they would not be one or
the other.

SOCIALIZATION

Critics of the single sex education argue that without the presence
of the opposite sex, students are denied a learning environment
representative of real life. This deprives them of the opportunity to
develop skills for interaction with peers of all genders in their work
environment and fosters ignorance and prejudice towards the other
gender.

However, the defenders argue that socialization is not the same as
putting together, but is a matter of educating in habits such as
respect, generosity, fairness, loyalty, courtesy, etc. And this can be
done with more success knowing the distinct tendencies of boys and
girls.

Defenders also state that there are more teenage pregnancies and
sexual harassment cases in coeducational schools. Catholics usually
refer to teachings of Pope Pius XI in 1929. He wrote an encyclical
entitled "Christian Education of Youth" where he addressed the
topic of coeducation. He said: "False also and harmful to Christian
education is the so-called method "co-education." This too, by
many of its supporters is founded upon naturalism and the denial of
original sin.

A masterful blend of
science fiction, fantasy, and folklore, the DOGMAN
EPOCH: SHADOW and FLAME
is an epic tale in its own era, stretching from the present day
to far beyond
the history of humanity.

SHADOW…

Tying
the Dogman legend to the 2012 Mayan doomsday prophesy, a secret
governmental agency races to solve
the ancient puzzle and save the world
from destruction, all the while
dodging a hidden enemy…

FLAME…

10,000
years in the past, the Nagual and their sorcerer chieftain begin
their conquest of the native civilizations. Can the great
Guardians stand against the evil onslaught, or will the looming
end of the Third Age of the Sun prove the downfall of humanity?

Many of us enjoy the challenge of a good
crossword puzzle in our local papers when sitting down to
breakfast on the weekends or passing the time when traveling.
But did you ever think about the benefits of using crosswords
and other word puzzles in class?

Crossword puzzles are said to be the most popular and widespread word
game in the world. However, according to George Elliott of the American
Crossword Puzzle Tournament,http://www.crosswordtournament.com/more/wynne.html,
this serious adult pastime has a relatively short history. To paraphrase
Elliott, "The first crosswords appeared in England during the 19th
century. The first known, published crossword (December 21, 1913 in the
Sunday newspaper the New York World) was created by a journalist named
Arthur Wynne, who is usually credited as the inventor of the popular
word game. Wynne based his crossword on a similar, though much older
game (played in ancient Pompeii) called Magic Squares or word square,
which was a group of words arranged so the letters read alike vertically
and horizontally. These word squares were printed in children's puzzle
books and other periodicals. During the early 1920's other newspapers
picked up the newly discovered pastime and within a decade crossword
puzzles were featured in almost all American newspapers."

Crossword puzzles require two fundamental vocabulary skills, 1) knowing
the definition of the word and 2) knowing how to spell the word
correctly. This can be a great way to review important terms and words
for any class, from foreign languages, to math, to science, to language
arts. By varying the number of words, and the size of the letter boxes,
crosswords can be used at any grade level. Even lower elementary
students can fill in these puzzles, and many children love the
interesting shapes and connections between words.

Crosswords are not difficult to create, especially with the help of your
handy computer. There are several on-line websites that allow you to
input your vocabulary word list and definitions (clues). Good programs
also allow you to customize the puzzle, changing the puzzle's overall
dimensions, box sizes, title, and even colors. One easy to use puzzle
making website is located at:http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/

Once there, you simply choose the type of puzzle you wish (you can even
see examples of the different types of puzzles, including math puzzles,
mazes, and word searches among others). Crossword puzzles are fun for
students, and they provide a welcomed break from finishing review
worksheets, studying vocabulary lists, and answering questions from the
textbook.

Be sure to check out our website for the FREE teacher Who-I-Want-To- Be
plan and other great Freebies for new teachers. Simply click the
following link: http://www.starteaching.com/free.htm

Be sure to check out our website for more great
information, tips, and techniques for new teachers,
student-teachers, and interns in teacher prep programs. Also be
sure to check out our Who-I-Want-To-Be teacher plan for
preparing yourself to enter the educational profession. Simply
click the following link: http://www.starteaching.com/free.htm

Kindle weighs only 10 ounces and is 1/3 of an inch
thick, yet it holds over 1500 books!

Order your very own Kindle by clicking the link below:

Are There Other Teachers in Your
School or District Who Would Love to Receive Our Newsletter?

Be sure to
pass along our website and newsletter!

"The Horse Story"

Author unknown
Themes
on Life

Will
we ever learn...

Common advice from knowledgeable horse
trainers includes the adage, "If the horse you're riding dies, get off."

Seems simple enough doesn't it? Yet in
education we don't always follow that advice. Instead, we often choose from an
array of other alternatives which include:

Buying a stronger whip

Trying a new bit or bridle

Switching riders

Moving the horse to a new location

Riding the horse for longer periods
of time

Saying things like, "This is
the way we've always ridden this horse"

Appointing a committee to study the
horse

Arranging to visit other sites where
they ride dead horses more efficiently

Increasing the standards for riding
dead horses

Creating a test for measuring our
riding ability

Comparing how we're riding now with
how we did ten or twenty years ago

Complaining about the state of horses
these days

Coming up with new styles of riding

Blaming the horse's parents. The
problem is often in the breeding.

Tightening the cinch

Will we ever learn?

What's New @ StarTeaching?

Hello readers! Welcome to your
second June issue of Features For Teachers for 2011!

This
month, we bring another great poetry/photograph selection from Hank Kellner
from his upcoming
book, Reflections. We also have excellent teaching
articles from Rozina Jumani and Marian Holes, and the return of Munir
Moosa Sewani!

You'll also find great articles
to use in your daily teaching as you begin to prepare to head back for
fall.

As
always, we have free activities (from Mary Ann Graziani and Frank Holes
Jr.) and articles with practical ideas
and techniques to be applied directly into your classroom.

Are you interested in advertising with us?
Want to reach an audience of thousands each month? The
StarTeaching newsletter is sent out twice a month, and advertising is
available on our website.
Click the link below for more information:Advertise
with Us!

Need a position in a K-12 school, administration, or a coaching
job? Our website has just gained access to a specialized
service just for our members and newsletter readers. Job
listings, application and interviewing tips, and priceless
information, at your fingertips!

Learning in
Hand is an
educator's resource for using some of the coolest technologies
with students.

Tony is a teacher who
wants to make education effective, relevant, and fun. He knows
handhelds are small computers that can make a big difference in
classrooms! He hopes Learning in Hand inspires and motivates
teachers to use technology that students crave.